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Should travelers boycott Arizona because of gun laws? Frommer leans towards yes
Arthur Frommer, longtime travel book guru, posed a question about Arizona's "open carry" gun laws. In Arizona, Frommer found out, people can bring loaded guns to political rallies. That's what happened in Phoenix earlier this week when some of the protesters, who showed up outside the convention center where Barack Obama was speaking, visibly wielded guns--including an assault rifle. Such action is legal in Arizona, something Frommer feels alarmed by.
In Arthur Frommer ONLINE yesterday, he wonders if travelers ought to boycott Arizona in protest of such open carry laws since he thinks a gun law that allows people to bring loaded firearms to political protests violates citizens' safety. He doesn't want to travel to such places. As he wrote, if a gun had gone off, mayhem could have happened.
It's not that Frommer objects to guns--or at least he doesn't say if he does or doesn't. He thinks there's a problem when a person carrying a gun in public does so in a way that puts people in danger.
Last year, I expressed my concern about guns being allowed into US national parks for similar reasons. Of course, others have a different opinion and some expressed those in the comment section. Some comments pointed out issues I that hadn't thought of. Some state roads and US highways, for example, pass through national parks. If a person is carrying a gun in his or her car and happens to be traveling on such a road, he or she would be in violation of a gun carrying law if guns were not allowed in a national park.
Still, there's Frommer's point that if people are allowed to have their guns with them as a means of intimidation, and other people are traveling through such spots, doesn't that put people not involved in jeopardy? I seem to remember from US history classes that even when the west was wilder there were some places where people who were carrying guns had to leave them outside a town or saloon. Or, maybe that's just the Hollywood version.
Filed under: News, Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
John Aug 20th 2009 3:46PM
Frommer should straighten out his panties, since he's got them all in a bunch.
College campuses are "no gun areas" and I'm sure the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre were all happy to know that while they complied, the nut paid no attention to the signs.
eelpal Aug 20th 2009 9:11PM
if guns were allowed on va teck campus how would you tell the good carrier from the nut or would you just blow away anyone you thought was a nut before he could do any damage and if he wasnt a nut you would just say so sorry.
Mark Aug 21st 2009 1:23AM
Are you serious? If one other student were armed they could have taken this criminal out with one shot and saved many, many lives. Just because easterners and city dwellers don't learn personal responsibility doesn't mean the rest of us don't. The gun is a tool and if everyone were armed we might just see a return to civilized behavior.
Avice Aug 21st 2009 2:29AM
Or if one other student were armed, they could have killed twice as many students. Ever heard of Columbine? Two students were armed there.
bill pike Aug 21st 2009 3:32PM
As long as citizens have guns to defend themselves we will be free. When the good guys give up their guns who will protect us against the bad guys? Do not expect the police to do it because it takes a minimum of 17 minutes from the time 911 gets the call for the police to get to you and that is if they are not busy on another call. Hitler took away all the guns and then a year later he built ovens and dug ditches to put the innocent un-armed people. A well defended people is safer than those who cannot protect themselves. Yes people will die by accident but I do not see you banning cars and they kill more than guns do. You do not ban medicine which kills more people by accident than guns do.
SaveThePlanet Feb 25th 2010 4:05PM
What penalty do you think would make these crazies stop killing? They are prepared to die in a gun battle or by suicide. Everything that these shooting did was already illegal and do-gooder liberals have disarmed law abiding citizens in these so-called gun free zones. I want to live. The law abiding people died at Virginia Tech and Fort Hood because they are law abiding citizens and followed the law while criminals will not. The police are not there to protect them--that's a proven fact by case statute but the police will take a great statement and will work really hard to solve the crime. I am sorry but I do not want to be that victim. At Fort Hood, we had expertly trained military soldiers-- one of them properly armed would have prevented the massacre. One of the thousands of law abiding gun carrying US citizens could have stopped the many deaths at Virginia Tech. I am going to Arizona just to carry my gun.
gadling Aug 20th 2009 3:58PM
While I do not disagree with the fact that bringing guns to a political rally might be a questionable action, having a team of 250lb longshoremen at a rally can be perceived as threatening too. Although I experienced the latter recently, I am not calling for a boycott of all states that have muscular union members. Could not go anywhere then, could we?
laiconna Aug 21st 2009 5:37PM
I don't recall reading of anyone in Arizona showing up at John McCain's rallies carrying any type of gun. If there had been anyone there weith a gun, I believe he would have been escorted out.
It's telling that the first and only time we read of some nut carrying a gun at a political rally it's when the president of the United States shows up. The guns were there as a message that they would love to kill or have some nut kill the president. I hope only those who feel as those carying the guns visit Arizona as toruists.
www.nubianesse.com
Luke Nye Aug 20th 2009 5:38PM
I agree whole-heatedly with Frommer, there is no reason that someone would need to carry an assault rifle/machine gun strapped to their back especially to a political rally. I've never really had any intention of going Arizona, and now even less reason to go. We need to re-think all of our gun control laws, and not let the NRA dictate where we 'need' guns. There is reason for hunting guns, and I can see the idea behind pistols for protection, but assault rifles are ridiculous and the reasons given for needed to have them are weak at best, and dangerous at worst.
Colonelpeaches Aug 20th 2009 8:44PM
The pictures you're referring to is NOT and Assault Weapon. Only Fully-Automatic Weapons are used for assault weapons. But the AR-15 that that gentlemen was carrying is used by law abiding citizens who need to protect themselves and their families from the government and idiots like you who are trying to take away our Freedoms as protected by the Constitution!
Minette Sweeney Aug 20th 2009 10:03PM
We'll see how you feel about assault weapons when lawless mobs are trying to take what's yours. If you don't believe that will come to America then you are not paying close attention to what is happening in this country.
So don't go to AZ, I'm sure nobody there will miss you.
If American citizens carry legal weapons in public those pulling postals at schools, malls and other public places would be taken out much sooner than they have been in the past. Having to wait for the police means more innocent people are murdered.
blade Aug 20th 2009 10:49PM
If you do not like our laws in this counrty, which by the way is called the Constitution I suggest you get the hell out of this great FREE country. Move to canada or England. As to the idiot that wrote the article, you need to read the Constitution. Itis that document that allows the citizens in Arizona to excerise their rights. Guns do not kill people ........... people kill people. Further more, more people die in car accidents then by gun shots, shouldn't we outlaw cars ???? Here is one let's outlaw booze as more people die from drunk drivers then by gun shots. Also better take away all the knives in the world too, as more die from them then gun shots. I excercise my Constitional rights thank you very much.
Team Texas Aug 21st 2009 1:02AM
Why is it, that those that can't be responsible enough to pay their own way in society (liberals and lazy a$$es) insist on being provided for, but can't understand that those that are responsible for their own well-being (constitutionalists and conservatives) are capable of using good judgement and restraint? Is it that they are incapable of showing any kind of personal responsibility at any level? Or is it that they are so weak they view any exercise of rights as a personal afront? Hmmm...
Brandon Aug 21st 2009 1:22AM
Are you so ill informed about guns that you put an assault rifle in the same class as a MACHINE GUN? Have you EVER fired a gun in your life? I am assuming NOT. You need to know what your talking about before you speak unless you dont mind looking like a ninny. Please endulge the class as to your REAL world approach to handling guns. Last time I CHECKED, the Constitution/Bill of Rights didn't have a "Hunting" Amendment in there, I DO however remember the 2nd Amendment, do you?
Dani Aug 21st 2009 1:35AM
Can you even imagine the pandemonium caused by everyone who carries a gun around just randomly shooting? Do you even know what happens to innocent bystanders when you think you are "protecting" yourself? Do you people even care? Obviously not, if you think it's a-ok to carry a gun everywhere, even into a church. And I don't see how having an assault rifle is needed either. I think many of the gun owners go a bit overboard with their ideas of what is needed for protection. I think if you want to be considered civilized, you might want to start acting civilized. And owning a gun, it doesn't make you civilized. In my eyes (as someone who's lost a loved one from being caught in the crossfire, meaning he was shot & killed by someone who thought he was being a hero & wasn't a police officer) you are all idiots.
Zach Aug 20th 2009 6:01PM
Two horrible ideas: loose gun laws and boycotting a place that has them. I'm no expert in gun regulations, but I bet they are pretty lax in a lot of African countries. Should travelers refrain from visiting there?
daquack Aug 20th 2009 6:48PM
I lived in Az. for a short time and was in a grocery store when a man in buckskins and a hogiron on his hip came in. I knew right away that any bad guy in the area would take a break from any bad guy thoughts. Guns usually have permits attached to them --except the bad guys --. Really there are a lot more sane folks in this country than bad guys--so if all the sane folks carried there would be a lot more bad guys learning math to check the odds on there insane ideas.. and thats all i have to say about that
Jesse Aug 21st 2009 12:41AM
Yes, Richard, an armed society is a polite society, as in Iran and Afghanistan.
Richard Aug 20th 2009 7:11PM
An armed society is a polite society.
Ray Aug 20th 2009 8:12PM
Richard, I agree with you 100%.